Nebraska State Fair requests up to $2.6 million from Grand Island for Fonner Park parking, lighting and drainage improvements

Representatives of the Nebraska State Fair and Fonner Park asked the Grand Island City Council on June 10 to consider a supplemental city funding contribution to complete parking, lighting and drainage work at the Fonner Park campus that the state funded in part with ARPA dollars.

"Over the last couple years, the Fonner Park campus stakeholders have really worked to improve the grounds, with the help of the $20,000,000 ARPA money," Tom Shellpepper, vice chair of the Nebraska State Fair board, said in his remarks. Presenters said the state awarded $20 million of a $27 million application and that Olson, the contractor, helped value-engineer the program.

The presenters described a two‑phase plan. Phase 1—largely completed—focused on the northeast portion of campus and storm-sewer and grading work. Phase 2 targets the south side of the Heartland Event Center and will replace asphalt with seven-inch concrete slabs, add underground detention systems and inlets, extend lighting and fiber, and add landscaping, festoon lighting and permanent security cameras and power to vendor pads.

Brian Fredrickson of Olson and other consultants said the work includes stormwater-quality detention cells, underground structures that filter and temporarily hold runoff and a new outlet to the Wood River that should reduce loading to the city system. They also described changes designed to reduce annual setup costs for events, including permanent power and additional camera coverage.

Presenters and board members said Fonner Park campus visitor numbers are significant: they reported more than 1.6 million visitors to the campus in 2023 and more than 1.4 million in 2024, and state fair attendance of about 314,000 in 2024. The Exurban Stock Show and other livestock events bring substantial out-of-state attendance, the presenters said.

Board chairman Boyd Strope told the council the fair board’s current ask of the city is $2,600,000 to finish a set of projects across the campus; staff later said about $1,535,000 of that total relates directly to improvements that affect a city-owned facility and therefore more clearly fall within the city’s funding rules. Strope said the board would welcome the entire amount if the city chose to provide it.

Council members asked technical questions about stormwater capacity, long-term maintenance funding and whether certain electrical and communications costs were included in ARPA funding. Presenters said ARPA did not cover electrical work; the larger line-item for electrical and communications (in the $1.0 million-plus range) reflects new transformers, panels, conduit and permanent power that are not ARPA-eligible. Presenters noted the work will reduce the annual cost of installing temporary power, cameras and other systems for events.

City legal staff told the council the city could not take action the same night because city attorneys needed to review what the city may lawfully fund. Mayor Steele said legal staff would return with guidance on options and eligibility. Staff also signaled that time is sensitive because certain items have been procured and installations were pending.

Council members praised the campus and emphasized the need to include maintenance and long-term repair funding in future planning. No funding decision was made on June 10.

(See "Votes at a glance" for the meeting’s formal votes.)